Flyers' Giroux to visit concussion specialist

The Flyers general manager has a hard enough time dealing with injuries to his players in regular hockey seasons. Imagine how hard it is in times of regular labor strife.

While the respective egos running the NHL and NHL Players' Association war rooms continue their battle of witless egos, most of the league's star players are keeping fit by playing over in Europe. And some aren't keeping so fit over there.

When you play, you frequently pay via injuries.

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So it went Friday night for Claude Giroux, who got bopped in the head during a game in the German Ice Hockey League.

At first it was nothing, then it was secretly leaked that Giroux, well, had a "minor" injury. Now Giroux is heading to Atlanta to be checked out by a concussion specialist.

Not to worry, though.

"From what I have heard, Claude will come back for evaluation and as a precaution," Holmgren said via a text to the Daily Times. "He has a neck injury that has been diagnosed as minor."

In a text message to CSNPhilly.com, Giroux confirmed that he "felt fine," and that the planned concussion testing was only a precaution.

Long way to go to just be told you're fine, though.

Giroux isn't going to just any doctor's office, either. He'll see Dr. Frederick Carrick, a professor at Life University in Marrietta, Ga., who specializes in the discipline of chiropractic neurology.

More importantly, Carrick is one of the medical specialists who has worked with Sidney Crosby.

Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, also represents Giroux.

In an interview with the Ottawa Sun, Peter Lee, general manager of the Eisbaren Berlin team that Giroux and Flyers teammate Danny Briere have been playing for, said Giroux was checked to the neck and head in overtime of a loss Friday night.

"He got hit in the neck area and was feeling a little funny," Lee said. "Without even thinking, we wanted to double-check because we weren't going to push him. You know how it is with players.

"We didn't want him to make the decision; we want to make sure he's going to be fine."

Giroux suffered a signifcant concussion last season, after being accidentally run into by teammate Wayne Simmonds Dec. 10. He missed four games.